Hagerstown man facing burglary charges

December 14, 2012

FALLING WATERS - Michael Aaron Hunt, of Hagerstown, Md., was arraigned Friday for an alleged burglary committed in April under felony charges of burglary, grand larceny, attempted malicious assault on a law enforcement officer and fleeing in a vehicle with reckless indifference.

Law enforcement officers were called to a home located on Cunningham Drive in Falling Waters for a report of a burglar alarm, according to a criminal complaint.

At the time an officer knocked on the front door of the residence, the sound of a back door shutting was heard. The officer ran around the side of the house to observe a male running across the yard, carrying a black bag, and gave a verbal command for the male to stop, according to court documents.

The suspect then entered a black Dodge Neon with a West Virginia registration, which almost struck the officer as it was pulling away from the scene, a criminal complaint said. Officers were unable to return any information on the vehicle's registration.

A Washington County bulletin featured the image of the subject allegedly at the scene of the April burglary. It identified the male as Hunt.

Hunt remains in jail with bail set at $35,000. If found guilty, Hunt faces up to 34 years of incarceration and fines totaling $3,500.

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Local man taken into custody during traffic stop

MARTINSBURG - A local man was arrested Thursday for possession during a traffic stop, according to court documents.

The traffic stop was initiated due to the vehicle's expired registration and defective side mirror, a criminal complaint said.

The driver, Sean Amos Robinson, was asked to exit the vehicle after an officer allegedly smelled the odor of marijuana, a criminal complaint said. The officer then searched the vehicle and found several small bags of what was identified as marijuana.

After being advised of his Miranda Rights, Robinson admitted while in custody that he did infrequently sell marijuana, according to a criminal complaint.

If found guilty, Robinson faces a maximum of 15 years in a penitentiary and a $25,000 fine. He remains in jail with bail set at $25,000.

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Man charged with domestic assault

CHERRY RUN - Robert Wayne Legg, of Hedgesville, was arraigned Friday under misdemeanor charges of domestic assault, destruction of property and obstructing an officer, according to court documents.

The charges came after a complainant alleged Legg, who was staying at her home in Cherry Run, was very intoxicated and behaving in a violent manner, a criminal complaint said.

Legg was allegedly belligerent during his arrest and resisted officers' commands to comply, a criminal complaint said.

If found guilty, Legg faces up to two years in jail and fines totaling $1,000.

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Two men charged with domestic battery

MARTINSBURG - Brandon Sheppard was arraigned Friday for one misdemeanor charge of second offense domestic battery, according to court documents. The charges came after Sheppard's girlfriend reported he struck her in the side of the face Nov. 11, a criminal complaint said.

Sheppard is in jail with bail set at $7,500. If found guilty, Sheppard faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Edward Douglas DeMonde Sr. was arraigned Friday for one misdemeanor charge of second offense domestic battery, court documents said. DeMonde was arrested after police responded to a report by DeMonde's girlfriend that said the couple had gotten into a physical altercation in September. Upon investigating, police found DeMonde had a prior charge of domestic battery and asked that an arrest warrant be issued, a criminal complaint said.

DeMonde is currently in jail with bail set at $6,500. If found guilty, he faces up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

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Man charged with violating order

MARTINSBURG - Joshua B. Butler was arrested after officers received reports of a Family Protective Order violation, according to court documents.

Butler was found outside a victim's residence, yelling at her to come out, a criminal complaint said. A review of the FPO revealed that Butler was not to be in the immediate vicinity of the residence.

Butler remains in jail with bail set at $3,500. If found guilty, the defendant faces a fine up to $2,000 and one year in jail.

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Man charged with DUI

INWOOD - Charles Daniel Hackley was charged with first offense DUI after being observed driving recklessly on Interstate 81 northbound around exit 5, according to court documents.

A member of the West Virginia State Police performed a traffic stop on the vehicle Hackley was driving. The trooper reported Hackley was unsteady on his feet when he exited the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

After conducting standard field sobriety tests, Hackely was taken into custody. He faces up to six months in jail and a fine of $500 if found guilty.

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Man charged with possession of crack

MARTINSBURG - Russell Coates Jr. was arraigned Friday on one misdemeanor charge of possession of crack cocaine, according to court documents. The charges came after a caller in the Liberty Street areas reported a suspicious vehicle, later confirmed to be driven by Coates, a resident of Martinsburg. A search of the vehicle, conducted after receiving Coate's consent, led police officers to find several small pieces of crack cocaine, a criminal complaint said.

Coates is in jail pending bail of $5,000. If found guilty, he faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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Man charged with petit larceny

MARTINSBURG - Franklin D. Gaskin Jr. was charged Friday with tampering with a motor vehicle and petit larceny, accroding to court documents. A criminal complaint said Gaskin was arrested earlier this month when found with several GPS systems in his pockets after a string of vehicle break-ins in the area of North Maple Street. A missing cell phone was later confirmed to be stolen property as well, a criminal complaint said.

Gaskin faces up to a year in jail and fines totaling $3,000 if found guilty.

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Man charged with attempted petit larceny

MARTINSBURG - Jeremy Allen Tasker, of Kearneysville, was charged with attempted petit larceny Friday, according to court documents. The charges came after Tasker was found with his hand inside a soda machine outside Berkeley Theater, allegedly attempting to steal, a criminal complaint said.

If found guilty, Tasker faces up to six months in jail and a $100 fine. He is currently in jail with bail set at $3,500.